Nojel Eastern 'fine' for Texas; Sasha Stefanovic returns to practice

Ideally, Purdue would prefer to not be facing so many injury questions after just one game, but heading into this weekend's visit from Texas, it does.

Friday, two days removed from the season-opening win over Green Bay and about 36 hours prior to tip-off against the Longhorns, all its answers were positive.

First off, Nojel Eastern.

The Boilermaker junior had already been dealing with a foot Issue that Idled him for the preseason scrimmage vs. Providence and exhibition vs. Southern Indiana.

Then, vs. Green Bay, he suffered what he called a modest "sprain" In his wrist.

"It wasn't anything major," Eastern said Friday. "It got caught in somebody's jersey and (got pulled) back a little bit. Then I fell on it again. Just a little sprain."

Eastern said he's "fine." He practiced Friday and will play vs. the Longhorns.

The foot wasn't an Issue vs. Green Bay, Eastern said.

"I was a little winded (though)," he said. "It might take a game or two to get back in the swing of things."

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As for guard Sasha Stefanovic, who missed the opener with a foot issue of his own, it appears as if his absence might have been a brief one. He returned to practice Friday, in a limited capacity, but returned nonetheless.

"We'll see after that," Coach Matt Painter said of his availability for Texas.

Stefanovic likely would have started the opener vs. Green Bay. In his absence, Jahaad Proctor and Eric Hunter each started — as they did in the preseason without Eastern — and both played well.

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